This invention relates to a novel therapeutic composition for the treatment of acne and to a method of using such compositions.
Acne is a skin disorder characterized by an excessive flow of sebum, or skin oil, from the sebaceous glands. Sebum reaches the surface of the skin through the duct of the hair follicle. Excessive amounts of sebum in the duct and on the skin acts to block the continuous flow of sebum, thus producing a thickening of the sebum which eventually becomes a solid plug. As a result, a papule, pustule, or cyst often forms, usually contaminated with bacteria which causes secondary infections.
Prior art topical therapeutic agents have attempted to prevent blockage of the follicular duct, reopen the duct once it has become blocked, act against the infecting bacteria or thickened sebum, or provide combinations of each of these actions.
Unfortunately, the prior art topical therapeutic compositions for the treatment of acne generally remove at least one layer of a user's skin. Accordingly, workers in the art have sought therapeutically effective compositions for the treatment of acne which do not remove the skin of the user.
The present invention is directed to therapeutic compositions which, when topically applied to the skin, provide an effective treatment for acne without skin removal. The active agents in these compositions are derived from natural food sources. Advantageously, these compositions, which dry to a white powdery residue, are non-sticky, non-toxic and otherwise safe for use.